Sad
by skyewatson
Summary: Cath and Steve's date night is interrupted when Steve is asked to look after Grace for a week by Rachel who has to fly out for a business deal with Stan. Cath can't help but notice how at home Grace is and how fatherly Steve is around Grace and it's not long before she realises she and Steve aren't going to work, not with how Steve feels about his partner even if he doesn't know it


Catherine watched as Steve ended the phone call and slipped the cell onto the coffee table next to their longboards that rested on old faded coasters. She tucked a leg underneath her body and hugged her knee, a habit she always seemed to pick up when she was on leave.

"That was Rachel, she wanted to ask if I could look after Grace for a few days. Danny's on the mainland in New Jersey helping them out, there's a string of killings they think might be connected to an old mob case he helped close. Stan's meeting was meant to be in a week but they've pushed it forward and Rachel has to go with him. They are flying out on the redeye tonight."

"That puts our plans on hold."

"Sorry Cath."

Catherine melted a little at his smile. "It's okay, I like Grace and I don't mind. At least it's not a case that's interrupting us."

"That's true, we might have to change the movie we watch tonight but we aren't going to have to chase after any criminals. Grace won't be any trouble."

Twenty minutes later the doorbell rings and she watches as Steve jumps up from the couch and opens the door. Rachel ushers Grace inside, her English accent more prominent as she quickly tells Steve everything he needs to know. It's almost strange watching Steve cut her off, nodding like he already knows everything he needs to about Grace. Rachel drops a kiss on her daughters's head and with a promise to call the next day the woman leaves.

"Uncle Steve I'm gonna go take my stuff upstairs."

It's all she says before the little girl is walking up the stairs with a overstuffed Tangled backpack in her small arms. Catherine notices that Steve hasn't told her where to put her things but pushes the thought aside, there's a chance Danny and Grace have stayed over before and used one of the guest rooms.

Steve settles into the couch and a few minutes later Catherine eyes Grace hopping down the stairs, singing a song under her breath Catherine can only assume is from a Disney movie because she has never heard it before. Grace settles in Steve's lap and picks up his hand, tracing patterns on his palm with small delicate fingers.

"What are we having for dinner tonight, Gracie?" Steve asks.

"Ham and pineapple on pizza? Danno won't let me get it when I stay with him." Grace then turns to Catherine. "Danno doesn't like pineapple on pizza."

"He doesn't? That's strange." Catherine smiles.

Grace shrugs. "Danno misses the pizza in New Jersey, it's not as good here."

"We have shave ice though, maybe we could get some tomorrow?"

Catherine watches the girl lights up and begins to chatter about Kamekono and shave ice and begs Steve about the possibility of going surfing. She expects Steve to give in but he doesn't and she watches as he reminds Grace that she's only allowed to go surfing with Kono and when her father is around. Grace pouts and slips off his lap. Catherine expects her to storm off in a huff but then there is a dragging noise and she turns around to see Grace climbing onto a chair so she can look through the fridge properly.

When Grace returns she has a cup of juice in her hands and she sets it down on the coffee table on a pretty pink princess coaster that Catherine has never seen before. Steve reminds Grace to put the chair back in a soft voice but the girl is already nodding and out of the lounge room before he can get half way through his words.

The next time Grace walks back into the lounge room she is holding a landline phone in one hand and the paper menu for a pizza joint somewhere on the island that delivers. Grace dials the number and makes a comical face at whoever answers on the other island.

"Yeah, uh huh. No I'm not home alone. I'm with my Uncle Steve. Yes, he's an adult," there is a moment pause and Grace almost looks insulted when she hands the phone to Steve, "they say they need to make sure I'm allowed to order."

Steve quickly confirms that Grace is in fact allowed to order and hands the phone back to the girl. She goes about ordering a ham and pineapple pizza, a desert package and a garlic bread before Catherine watches her ask Steve if he wants his usual order. Steve just nods and Grace adds a meat lovers pizza to the list. There are a few huffs and even more comical faces paired with a lot of "uh huh"s and "yeah"s before Grace rattles off Steve's address and mobile phone number without any hesitation at all. Grace hangs up and sighs like she just went through a terrible ordeal.

"Why are people so silly, Uncle Steve?"

Steve cracks a smile and brushes her hair out of her eyes. "Some people just are, Gracie. Like your dad, he's silly."

"Danno is silly but he isn't stupid." Grace corrects and then turns sheepish. "Don't tell him I called the pizza guy that, it wasn't very nice."

"As long as your room stays clean and you aren't late for school this week I won't."

"But you're the one driving the car."

"I'll be up early, you on the other hand sleep in."

"Danno says it's genetic. But he also complains that you snore and get up too early."

Steve looks offended. "I don't snore."

Grace nods adamantly like she believes him without a doubt. "I know Uncle Steve but I think Danno makes up anything he wants to about you when we commiserate. Did I use that word right?"

Catherine nods. "It's a big word, Grace, you're really smart you know that?"

Grace rolls her eyes. "It's not such a big word. I'm not a little girl you know, I play three card poker and Danno says he'll teach me how to play real poker when it's my birthday. I'm going to wipe the floor with Kamekono when we play."

Steve grins proudly. "What are the rules though?"

"Only play for candy but if they want to play for money I'm only allowed to take fifty dollars off each person and I'm only allowed to gamble with your money, not Danno's." Grace recites.

Catherine wonders when they had to make that rule up but then the doorbell is ringing and Grace is pulling a couple of notes out of Steve's wallet and walking towards the front door. She twists in her position on the couch to see Grace use a little step ladder so she can see through the peep hole and then she's stepping down and pushing it to the side with her foot so she can open the door.

She looks almost comical, piled high under pizza boxes and Catherine watches as Grace turns on her foot, kicking the door shut with a practised fluid motion, the kind you only had when you'd done something a hundred times. Grace brings the boxes over to the coffee table and Catherine feels the weight shift in the couch when Steve gets up to get something. She almost feels bad when he comes back with paper plates and napkins but then the pair are chatting away animatedly without her and she doesn't feel so bad.

It's not logical to feel jealous, Grace is nine and it's not like she's any kind of competition. When she joined the Navy Catherine knew there was little chance of ever having a husband or a family of her own and she hadn't been bothered about it but watching Steve interact with Grace, watching how paternal he was with her, it made her ache. Steve had managed to make his own family and Catherine couldn't help but feel a little jealous even though she genuinely wants to be happy for the man she has known for so long.

It's halfway through dinner that Catherine is brought into the conversation by Grace.

"Catherine have you ever been to New Jersey?"

Catherine shakes her head. "No but I've been to New York."

Grace scrunched her nose. "That doesn't count but don't worry, Uncle Steve and I won't tell Danno you said that." The little girl tugs on Steve's shirt. "Uncle Steve can I call Danno? Mum wouldn't let me before and I miss him. He's not too busy is he?"

"Danno would love it if you called Gracie, you know where my special phone is? The one the Governor gave me?"

Grace shook with excitement. "I can use that one? Really? Danno says I'm not allowed to touch that one unless it's an emergency."

"That's because it's a super special phone. It lets me call Danno anywhere in the world. Remember when Danno and I called you from Japan? We used my special phone."

"But Danno says calling people is expensive if they don't live in Hawaii, that's why we have to Skype Nana and Pop back in Jersey."

"It is expensive," Steve agreed, "but I don't think our Danno will be too annoyed at us if we call him just for a little bit. The Governor pays for my phone Gracie so it won't cost me anything."

"Are we allowed to do that?"

"We are always allowed to call Danno, Gracie, and if you ever want to call me you can do that too. I don't care what time it is."

Catherine watches Grace scamper off and she puts her hand on Steve's arm. "That was cute."

Steve shrugs. "It's the truth. I've called Danno every day from that phone since he left for Jersey and Grace is more than welcome to call Danno from it. The Governor isn't going to say anything about it, he's my partner."

Grace potters back into the lounge room with a sleek phone in her hands. Catherine watches as she settles back into the couch and Steve rattles off a number. Grace frowns and tells him that he's being silly, the four and the one are the other way around and that she knows her Uncle Steve knows Danno's number. Grace doesn't even write in the number or go through his contacts, she hits the first number on Steve's speed dial and waits patiently, her feet swinging off the edge of the couch as she hums merrily.

"Danno!"

Catherine smiles at the excited squeal of the girl when Danny picks up on the other end of the line. Grace's side of the conversation is lightning fast and Catherine can barely keep up. Grace's Jersey accent is out in full ball and it's like the girl hasn't spent the last year and a half in Hawaii.

After ten minutes of rapid conversation Grace pulls the phone away from her ear and hands it to Steve. "It's for you, Steven." The little girl bursts into giggles when she uses Steve's full name.

Steve makes a face but takes the phone from her. Catherine listens to Steve's half of the conversation that has a lot of "Daniel"s, "I know"s, "Danno I promise there are no grenades in our car"s, adamant "there aren't"s, soft "babe"s and more than a few sighs.

In the corner of her eye she sees Grace climbing up the stairs and the girl doesn't come back down for another five minutes but when she does she is dressed in pink pyjamas and she's holding a seal plushie in one hand and a hair brush in the other. Catherine is about to offer to help Grace with her hair but then Steve is pulling Grace onto his lap and brushing her the tangles out of her hair, the phone trapped between his ear and his shoulder as he continues to talk. It's almost strange watching him braid Grace's hair, it's such a gentle act. Catherine knows Steve can be gentle but this is something else.

Grace gets the phone back long enough to say goodnight to her father before it's handed back over to Steve. The soft "I miss you too" as Steve carries Grace upstairs to put her to bed breaks Catherine's heart. The words are softly spoken but so full of emotion that she knows it's all over. She and Steve will never work out, he can't offer her what she wants because he already has it with someone else.

Catherine is out the door and gone before Steve can come back down from Grace's bedroom, the only thing she leaves is a farewell post it note and her half drunk longboard.

Catherine's not bitter over losing Steve to the loud mouthed Jersey cop, really she isn't. She's just sad.


End file.
